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Tasks and Position of the General Practitioner and His Team in Primary Health Care of the Rural Population of the GDR.

Authors

Knabe-H

Source

Proceedings of the VII International Congress of Rural Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 17-21, 1978, International Association of Agricultural Medicine 1978 Sep:132-134

Link

NIOSHTIC No.

00184051

Abstract

The role of the general practitioner in providing primary health care to the rural population of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) was discussed. Tasks of a typical general practitioner and his staff in East Germany were summarized. These included providing medical care; promoting health; cooperating with local authorities, agricultural organizations, and mass organizations; and acting as coordinator of the available health service programs. The relationship between the general practitioner and the general morbidity pattern in the rural population of East Germany was discussed. Due to the increasing age of the rural population, it was noted that a typical general practitioner spends at least 40 percent of his time treating geriatric disorders. Due to a shift from manual to sedentary work, the incidence of obesity and the problems it promotes, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, has increased. Activities of the general practitioner's supporting staff, the district nurse, the community nurse, the German Red Cross, the People's Solidarity Organization, and other medical and social workers, were summarized. The functions of the district nurse were discussed.